The Headhunters: The Stunt Man

With the half-century anniversaries of Herbie Hancock's work with The Headhunters having passed in roughly the last year—Head Hunters (Columbia, 1973) and Thrust (Columbia, 1974)—it is appropriate the current configuration of the group has continued regular activity. In fact, under the fitting tutelage of drummer Mike Clark and percussionist Bill Summers, the band has issued two albums of new material in this span of time.

Speakers in the House (Ropeadope, 2022) is an album of dashing panache and The Stunt Man successor is likewise impressive. Recorded at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco in August 2023, it features seven selections, five self-composed by the members of current quintet plus a pair of ambitious covers; George Gershwin's "Embraceable You" appears in a sinuous rendition led by Donald Harrison's slinky alto saxophone and Wayne Shorter's "ESP" features Harrison and guest tenor saxophonist Craig Handy engaging in tandem playing as spirited as it is smooth.

Given the disparate sources for these compositions, the continuity of The Stunt Man is remarkable. But then, this deceptively ambitious program incorporates the visceral motion of the fivesome, a factor mirrored in the expertly pacing of the track sequence. The mixing by Chris McGrew—who co-produced with Clark and Summers—figures in here too, as does the mastering by Michael Romanowski: the engineers' attention to detail is as striking as the technical expertise that permeates the musicianship.

That meticulous approach extends to the LP's duration of approximately thirty-seven minutes. Such a running time ensures optimum audio quality for all configurations of the album, especially the vinyl edition, and true-to-life sonics are indispensable virtue for such dense arrangements. On keyboardist Kyle Roussel's "Attitude of Gratitude," for instance, the piano notes radiate a presence as tangible as the synthesizer lines, both textures of which are comparable to the timbre of the bass. Meanwhile, the tactile quality of Clark's rhythm patterns on his drum kit matches Summers' on the congas and, in turn, Chris Severin's on the bass.

As with Harrison's "The Sand Castle Headhunter" (the longest track here at just over nine minutes) and keyboardist Kyle Roussel's "Attitude of Gratitude," the latter rightfully hints at some measure of spiritual enlightenment. In contrast, the potential impact of album closer, Summers' "New Levels, New Devils," ends up diminished by its glib lyrics and superfluous vocals (fortunately it is less than three minutes long).

Upon release of Manchild (Columbia, 1975), the last of the original triptych of Hancock/'Hunters LPs, no one might have thought the band and its music would continue to be a going concern close half-a century later. How propitious it is then, to hear the invigorating artistry of the group circa 2024 on The Stunt Man.

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